Silver Pool
by Eosophobia-3
Summary: Set between Bella meeting the Cullens and the baseball scene --- see the Cullens in their natural environment and see why humans don't usually hang around with vamps --- it can be dangerous! Edward Bella, Alice Jasper, Emmett Rosalie, Carlisle Esme
1. Worries and Loud Noises

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does, they're all her characters etc and i'm just expanding on her original story :)**

**This is set a couple of days after Bella has met the Cullens but before the baseball scene. Sorry if I got anything wrong… don't be picky, just enjoy :)**

**BPOV**

Edward glided around the silver Volvo at lightening speed – or normal speed to him – opening the door, allowing me to step out. Edward Cullen: ever the gentleman. His golden eyes, slightly duller than usual, beamed down at me as he took my hand in his stone grasp, sending a spike of electricity down my spine. He began to pull me towards his enormous house, the sunlight just starting to shine on the top story windows, twinkling like huge, hollow eyes. I stopped, pulling his arm towards me so that his ochre eyes were staring down at me, his eyebrows arched slightly and then knitted together as he attempted to decipher what I was thinking; I loved the fact that I was the only one whose mind he couldn't read.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I peered into my stone angel's face as he listened patiently, "I mean, the other day, when you introduced me to your family, don't get me wrong, they were very welcoming, its just-"

"You're worried about Jasper"

It wasn't a question, sometimes it was as though he _could_ read my thoughts.

"Its just, the other day, he didn't seem very… comfortable around me is all".

Edward pulled me closer, his sweet scent encircling me and making my head swim. It took me a moment to arrange my thoughts. As I opened my mouth to speak he pressed an icy finger to my lips,

"Jasper's the newest to our lifestyle, like Carlisle said, 'It's a little difficult for him', but it's good for him to be around you; he needs to get used to your scent. Besides, he and Alice went for a run earlier, I doubt they'll be back for a while", a smile tugged at his lips as he spoke those last words.

Edward spun on his heel and continued to drag me towards his home, when we reached the front door he stopped and tilted his head slightly; I assumed he was listening to the thoughts of whoever was inside.

"Come on", he flashed his pearly teeth and pushed open the door, ushering me inside. The hallway was just as I'd remembered it; the large windows emitting a bright, white light up the stairs. I took a deep intake of breath, again inhaling the honey scent of Edward but at the same time calming my jittery nerves.

As we walked hand in hand up the stairs Edward let out a small groan, rubbing his palm across his forehead.

"Watch out for the large flying objects"

"Why?" my mind raced, was something attacking the house?

"Rosalie is angry with Emmett; apparently he wants you to come and see us play baseball"

"Oh" was all I managed to say, I didn't really understand why Rosalie hated me so much, perhaps I just had one of those faces…

Before I could dwell any longer on the subject Edward pulled me into the kitchen and began frantically pulling things out of the fridge: a carton of eggs, butter, pancakes and God only knows what else.

"Edward, what are you -"surely he wasn't going to eat it?

"Hungry?" he smiled his crooked smile, causing my already-full stomach to do a somersault.

"Err, I just had breakfast actually"

"Oh", he looked suddenly hurt, his eyes dropping to the floor before quickly returning to my face. The smile I loved so much returned as he rushed everything back into the fridge, "Well, it has been over 100 years since I ate real food; I guess my timing's a little off", his smile broadened as he shrugged off his mistake and a fraction of a second later he was beside me, placing a stone arm around my waist. He bent down and kissed me on my forehead before lifting me off my feet and placing me lightly on the kitchen counter. He placed his arms firmly on the counter at either side of me and leant in to brush his nose through my hair, causing that electric current to return. At that exact moment Esme walked in.

The stand-in mother always looked so smart: she was wearing the same knee length skirt she had been wearing the first day we'd met but this time she had a light pink sweater over the top and her hair was pulled into a loose bun behind her head. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and she smiled broadly, "Oh, hello Bella, we weren't expecting you again so soon", she glanced once at Edward and then back to me.

"Err, yeah, Edward said it would be okay", I had to peer past Edward as he remained leaning over me.

"No, no, its fine. It's good to see you again", she looked once more at Edward and then left the room clasping her hands.

"She seems happy", I said when I thought she would finally be out of hearing range.

"She is. She's waited a long time for me to be happy".

I smiled at that, knowing I made him happy. I pressed my cheek to his wintry chest, closing my eyes as I simply rested there, content.

A loud crash from upstairs awakened me from my daze, I looked up into Edward's eyes to see him roll them to the ceiling, "Emmett won't give in, he thinks he can freak you out by showing you how we play baseball but Rose… Rose doesn't agree".

I guessed by the pause that he wasn't telling me everything but I was grateful; I didn't want to know exactly what Rosalie thought of me.

Suddenly an even louder clatter emitted from upstairs, this time it sounded like a window being smashed, a second later the ground beneath my feet seemed to shake and I heard another sound, this time coming from outside, something that sounded and felt like part of the house had fallen down which, given the mood Rosalie was in, wasn't such a large assumption.

"I'll be back in a second", Edward vanished from beside me and I could hear his voice outside, I walked to the window but couldn't see anything and so decided to be nosy and made me way to the back yard to decipher what was going on.


	2. Decisions

**Decisions**

As I peered around the corner of the house I could see Emmett standing in a shallow ditch in the lawn, looking amused but slightly scared. Carlisle, Esme and Edward were standing around him, Edward with a large grin on his face; Emmett's thoughts were obviously explaining a lot. I stayed behind the wall, only looking now and then; I didn't want to be present if Rosalie was in one of her infamous moods.

Carlisle stepped towards the house and peered up to the top floor, it was only then that I understood that the smashing sound had been Emmett falling through the window and the vibrations had been when he'd landed on the lawn.

"Rosalie Hale!" Carlisle's voice echoed through the forest behind him and I heard something else smash before Rosalie dropped ever so elegantly out of the window, landing easily on her six-inch heels. Her blonde locks hung loosely over her shoulders and her face held an expression of pure hatred, for once not aimed at myself. I slinked back slightly, hoping she wouldn't realise I was there.

Rosalie flicked her hair behind her back before placing a very polite smile on her face, "Yes Carlisle?"

"What's the problem here?" Carlisle put on his best 'father' face, which reminded me a lot of Charlie when he used to tell me off when I was younger.

"Nothing, everything's fine", Rosalie shot a burning look at Emmett before returning her gaze to Carlisle.

"Well something must have upset you to cause you to throw Emmett out of the window"

"Which you will pay for", Esme added with a disapproving look on her usually cheerful features. Rosalie pursed her lips and continued to frown at Emmett, her golden eyes fixed with his.

Edward spoke then, his voice a symphony of notes, "Emmett wants to show Bella how we play baseball", Rosalie shot Edward on of her 'I'm going to kill you' looks but he continued, "Rose thinks it's a bad idea".

"Why?" Esme looked confused, "I'm sure Bella would love to see us play".

"I just don't like it", Rosalie was gritting her teeth, what she meant to say was, 'I just don't like _her_', meaning me. She spoke again, "What if she gets in the way? I'm sure _Edward_", she spoke his name with pure poison, "wouldn't approve if one of us _accidentally_ trampled her". That last part sounded more like a threat than actual fear for my safety and Edward growled when she said it.

"I'm sure we'll all be very careful Rosalie, and Alice will know if anything is going to go wrong", Esme was obviously the voice of reason here and she spoke with the authority only a mother could have. Rosalie shoved her arms across her chest and blew out a short puff of useless air. Emmett stepped forward, out of his ditch and moved silently to Rosalie's side, pressing a firm kiss to her cheek and positioning a large arm across her shoulders. I saw her relax a little and so I decided it was a good time to show my face.

*******I would LOVE it if some of you could review my story, thanks*******


	3. Race

**Race**

I stepped from behind the house and made my way across the lawn towards Edward, almost falling in the ditch left by Emmett's landing, making him stifle a laugh. I finally managed to reach Edward and I clasped his frozen hand in mine, feeling his support. He leaned his head towards me and whispered his sweet breath in my ear, "So, what do you say? Would you like to see some vampire baseball?"

I dared a quick glace towards Rosalie who was preoccupied with Emmett's lips and whispered back, "I would love to".

Emmett released Rosalie's shoulders and shouted in his bellowing voice, "Hey, Bella, we're all going to Mount Rainier in a bit, why don't you tag along?"

I saw Rosalie's jaw set as she let out a short hiss at Emmett, he shrugged his shoulders in her direction, "What?"

I answered quickly, not wanting to anger the blonde vampire any more, I- I don't think that's such a good idea"

"Sure it is", Emmett flashed his beaming teeth at me.

"You're very welcome to come Bella, we'll be back before tomorrow morning", Carlisle spoke with confidence and so I nodded my head slightly, maybe if I didn't speak much Rosalie wouldn't feel the need to eat me. Rosalie hated me anyway and that wasn't going to change any time soon.

I followed Edward up into his room as he prepared for the trip to Mount Rainier. He began by unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it on the floor; I could feel my pulse race and my cheeks burn as I looked at his perfectly sculptured torso, he gave me a lopsided smile, obviously hearing my heart beat faster. In a flash he was wearing a dark green t-shirt and placing me on his back; I knew what was coming next and so I held onto his neck tightly as he darted out of the window and scrambled up a tree.

"So we're running to Mount Rainier?" I had to ask so that I could remember to shut my eyes, there's nothing like shaking around on someone's back at forty miles an hour to make you feel sick.

"Well, _we're_ climbing. The rest are running. Emmett likes to bet that he can get there before I do"

"But that's unfair; you're climbing and you've got _me_ on your back"

"Emmett's not the runner of the family, Bella, he relies more on his strength. Besides, you way nothing to me"

"Oh", I bent my head close to him, inhaling his perfect scent, and closed my eyes as he scaled the tree and began swooping through the forest. I risked a quick glance downwards, immediately regretting it as I did so. I could see Emmett leaping over a fallen tree, pushing off of a sturdy tree next to it in order to fly over the dead one. Behind him Rosalie was sprinting through the undergrowth, easily skipping over the fallen tree. Emmett was constantly glancing up to see Edward's position, not wanting to fall behind. Emmett smiled and I could have sworn he was smiling at me; his eyes seemed locked onto my own, as if he could see my expression from all the way down there. I gave him a weak smile in return, concentrating on not falling off Edward.

Esme and Carlisle stayed just behind them, holding hands as they ran: it was strange seeing them that way, totally free. I began to feel a little nauseous and so closed my eyes as we continued to fly through the trees, the breeze whipping at my cheeks.

Finally I felt Edward slow down, we'd been running for about twenty minutes and my arms and legs were stiff from clinging on, the breeze whipping at my face began to calm, allowing my face to regain feeling.

I suddenly felt extremely happy, a feeling of complete joy washing over me, making me forget all of my worries, I felt… perfect. I opened my eyes and peered through the thin canopy of trees that were separating Edward and I from the picturesque scene in front of us. There was a large meadow with lush green grass and flowers dotted amongst the grass: tulips, daffodils, poppies, daisies and some that looked too exotic for their location. To the side of the meadow was a small pool of water, the sun glittered off its surface, making it look like liquid silver and to the side of that was a steep, rocky cliff face leaning away from the pool.

*******I would love you to review…it makes me smile :D*******


	4. Out of Place

**Out of Place**

Edward dropped lightly from the tree, gently lowering me from his back and stepped out into the sunlight, away from the dense forest. His skin glistened in the light, mesmerizing me as it had that first day. Emmett's huge frame bustled out into the light at that point, followed closely by Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme. As they stepped into the sun's rays I realised that they all looked somehow different, their skin reacted in different ways to the light: Emmett's skin seemed to shine rather than sparkle, it had a surface like silver, shining brightly in some areas and only slightly in others. Rosalie looked as though she was carved from crystal, a multitude of colours shimmering all over her skin as she moved elegantly into the sun. Carlisle's skin was more like Edward's but with less colours, it also seemed more carved, with sharp edges, although he was still completely smooth. Esme's skin was the most interesting; she looked as though she was made from pearl, her flesh seemed to swim with pinks and creams, running together as she moved.

Emmett ran towards Edward, tackling him to the ground. I cringed as their bodies collided, sounding like a rockslide, and I worried for Edward's safety, I mean, Emmett was so _big_.

"You cheated!" Emmett's bellowing voice did not fit in with the peaceful scene at all.

"I did not!" Edward was laughing, "You're just too slow!"

"I am _not_ slow!" Emmett bent further over Edward, pinning his arms to the grass beneath him. Emmett was suddenly a blur before reappearing ten feet away with Rosalie straddling him.

"Well you're not exactly fast, Monkey Man", Rosalie smirked and jumped off Emmett, leaving him lying dazed on the lush grass. He jumped to his feet and picked Rosalie up by her slender waist, he looked as though he would snap her, before tossing her twenty feet away into the pool. Rosalie splashed viciously as she slumped into the liquid, her arms and legs flailing and her skin glistening manically in the sunlight. As she entered the water something large burst out of it and scaled the rock face that inhabited the area next to the small oasis.

I had to squint into the sunlight to see what it was that had emerged so dramatically out of the water; I peered towards the rock where the disruption was perched. I realised then that it was a person, no, two people, clinging onto the jagged rock, the smaller one sitting on the taller one's shoulders. With closer inspection I could finally see that the startled creature was Alice and Jasper; Alice was perched on Jasper's shoulders like a small child, and Jasper was holding onto the rock with one hand, leaning back to see what was going on. They were both dripping wet, the water sparkling as much as their skin. They also seemed to shine differently in the sun; Alice had the same sort of sparkle as Edward, but with much more facets, even the slightest movement of her head caused her flesh to sparkle furiously. Jasper was quite like Esme, he seemed to have a pearlescent sheen, with various colours blending in with each other. But something was disjointed about the way the colours merged; they seemed to flow and then stop in various places, as though his skin was somehow creased, although I could see only perfection. Alice's hair was clinging to her pixie face and Jasper's blonde curls were sticking out in all directions and they both had huge grins on their faces as they watched Rosalie leap out of the water and chase Emmett around the clearing.

It was strange to see Jasper so… happy, he didn't look worried or anxious like I had always seen him look, he simply looked content. I understood then that the feelings I'd felt in the trees had been his. He hadn't needed to keep them under control, he was completely unrestrained. He dropped from the rock face onto the soft grass with Alice still on his shoulders, a look of pure joy on her face, her smile broadened when she looked in Emmett's direction and spoke in her wind-chime voice, "Thanks Emmett, ruin the moment why don't you?"

Jasper cleared his throat, probably embarrassed.

"How long had you two been down there anyway?" Emmett ruffled Rosalie's now-soaking hair as he spoke, receiving a low growl from her.

"Only a couple of hours" was Alice's reply. Of course, no need to breathe. I suddenly felt highly embarrassed and realised that Jasper's emotions were escaping again, he clearly didn't want Emmett knowing his and Alice's romantic business.

Carlisle and Esme settled themselves into the grass and began chatting whilst holding hands, Emmett dive-bombed into the water, splashing a sunbathing Rosalie, although why she was sunbathing I had no idea, perhaps she just wanted to emphasise how much hotter she was than me, not that I needed reminding. Jasper sat crossed legged in the grass with Alice remaining on his shoulders; she was playing with his golden hair as it curled in the sun. I didn't want to spoil the moment as I watched the vampires so relaxed, unfortunately my legs had other ideas. As I leant towards the clearing I tripped over a loose branch, I attempted to stop the encroaching embarrassment by grabbing a large, green bush but, as should have been expected, it wasn't as strong as I'd originally thought and I fell to my knees, pulling the large bush on top of me.

As I pulled myself up I could hear Emmett's thunderous laugh echoing throughout the clearing and I saw Edward's shadow cover me as he stepped in front of me, slightly crouched. He looked as though he was protecting me and so I leaned around him to see the danger for myself. I could see Jasper standing in the same position as Edward; he was bearing his teeth, growling. Okay, so Jasper was the danger.

**More chapters to come, I just need to type them up :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, all are appreciated, keep 'em coming!**


	5. Daisy Chains

**Daisy Chains**

Alice stood up behind Jasper, placing a tiny hand on his shoulder, "Jasper, its fine. Jazz-"

Carlisle moved swiftly in front of Jasper, so that he was between him and Edward, I could hear Carlisle's stern voice, "Jasper, everything's okay, its only Bella", I saw Jasper's eyes sweep towards me and then back to Carlisle. He relaxed and stood upright, his eyes moving to the floor. Edward relaxed his position and stepped aside, allowing me to see Jasper's sullen expression. He placed his hands slowly behind his back and spoke quietly, "Sorry sir", his Texan drawl came out a little as he apologized and Carlisle placed his hand on his adopted son's shoulder.

"Its fine son; I should have said that Bella was here", with that Carlisle returned to his position beside Esme and Alice guided Jasper back to their space on the grass, returning to her position on his shoulders.

I stood up and walked into the clearing, brushing the leaves and twigs from my clothes as I moved to stand beside Edward. I could feel Rosalie's icy stare as I walked clumsily over to him; just another reason for her to hate me. Edward perched on a fallen tree in the centre of the grass - whether it had fallen through the power of nature or the power of Emmett's temper I wasn't sure – and I sat down beside it, staring at my hands as I traced the creases in my palms, trying to keep my eyes in any direction but Jasper's.

Alice danced over to where I sat; I hadn't even seen her move from Jasper's shoulders, "Come on Bella, there are daisies over here", she pointed towards where Jasper was sitting, "We could make daisy chains", she looked so animated, as though she'd been waiting to make daisy chains with someone for years, and, the more I thought about it, she probably had. But I didn't want Jasper to feel uncomfortable with me so close, "I – I err, don't know how to make them", it was the best excuse I could think of, and it was true, Renee had never shown me, she never wanted to get her fingers all green.

"I'll show you", Alice's golden eyes pleaded with me, my excuse obviously wasn't working, "Come on". She dragged me to my feet and pulled me towards Jasper with a little more fore than necessary, I looked back at Edward, begging him to help me with my eyes, he looked rigid, worried.

We reached Jasper in less than five seconds, I'd only tripped once, and Alice pushed me to the ground beside him; I saw Jasper's nostrils flare and his entire body tensed as I sat crossed legged beside him.

"Alice", Edward's voice was stern as he spoke Alice's name through gritted teeth, his body straightened as he sat up on the fallen tree, never taking his eyes off Jasper.

"Everything's fine, Edward", Alice chirped, "We're going to make daisy chains", Alice beamed as she spoke the final words and planted herself in the grass next to me, meaning I was between Jasper and his wife. I saw his fists clench as Alice sat, he was clearly hoping that she would sit next to him to keep him in check, but he remained perfectly still, his eyes constantly fixed on something in the distance.

It had been around five minutes since I'd sat down and Alice had already made about twenty daisy chains; some were lying on the grass but most were around her neck. I, however, was still on my first chain, my fingers fumbling around with the thin stems of the flowers. I was getting more and more frustrated as I managed to snap yet _another_ head off the flowers. Alice reached over my crossed legs to hold out one of her daisy chains to Jasper, "Here you are. So you're not left out", she held out the tiny flowers with a delicate hand, "Jazzy?" she put on a playful voice, as if she knew he was just teasing her by not answering, "Here, its for you". Jasper suddenly snapped his head towards her, a look of pure rage marring his features, I gasped, hoping that he wasn't about to tear my head from my shoulders like the daisies I had just beheaded. He ripped the daisies from Alice's hand and disappeared up the cliff face. I could see him sitting at the top, his legs dangling loosely over the edge and his skin shimmering in the late afternoon sun.

Alice remained beside me, a look of shock and sadness on her petite face. She stood up swiftly and darted off to an empty space on the grass about thirty feet away, she sat down on her knees and her shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

I felt extremely guilty, this was all my fault, yet again Bella Swan ruins the moment. Edward was immediately by my side; he settled into the grass beside me and handed me a daisy, holding it between his thumb and forefinger, his lopsided smile teasing at his lips. I took the flower from his diamond hands, "Thanks".

"It's not your fault you know", he was trying to make eye contact but I kept my head down, why would he want to see this face?

"I shouldn't have come, everyone was happy before I got here", I was talking about the clearing but he answered as though he meant something more,

"Not me"

"You know what I mean". He sighed and then shrugged, lying back on the grass, placing his hands behind his head. The sun glistened off of his ivory skin, sending small rainbows into the blades of grass. I stood up and began to make my way towards Alice, causing Edward to sit bolt upright.

"Where are you going?" he seemed genuinely concerned, as if I would just walk away.

"I should talk to Alice, apologize"

He made a face, "_You_ didn't do anything wrong"

"Edward, please", with that he lay back on the grass and I continued towards Alice. She was picking at the grass and rolling it between her petite yet powerful fingers, causing green dust to catch on the faint breeze as she crushed each blade.

"Alice", my voice broke as I spoke her name, she didn't respond and so I sat down beside her, picking up some grass as I did so. I started to pull at the blades, jerking my hands apart quickly as I took my anger out on nature. "Alice, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to spoil everything", I kept my eyes on my hands, not wanting to look at her disappointed face. She glanced towards me then, her dark eyebrows pulling together and her lips pouting slightly.

"Oh, Bella, it's not your fault", her melodic tones seemed somewhat deflated, not as chirpy as before.

"I shouldn't have come today, I'm sorry", I began to pull more vigorously at the blades of grass, blaming them for my mistake. Alice placed her icy hand on my own, her skin glistening frantically as she moved.

"Everything's fine Bella. Jasper decided it was better to move away from you for a while is all, he needed some _fresh_ air", I glanced towards where Jasper was, atop the rock face; he was standing now, with his arms behind his back, looking like a soldier in line for the army.

"Yeah, don't take it too personally Bells, Jazzy Wazzy doesn't really _like_ anyone", Emmett bellowed from his place in the pool, his t-shirt was soaked through, allowing his broad chest to cling to the fabric. Above him I heard a deep growl and I then winced as a huge boulder plummeted down the rock face, breaking apart as it smashed into Emmett's back.

"Hey!"

"Play nice now children", Carlisle nuzzled Esme's hair as he laughed at his adopted family.

**Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**More chapters to come, stay tuned for action in the next chapter!!**

**:) xx**


	6. Freefall

**Freefall**

Jasper leapt off the rock face as though he was diving into a swimming pool; I had to squint to look at him as his shimmering body plummeted towards Emmett's unsuspecting frame. Jasper landed gracefully on Emmett's back, forcing him to loose his balance and fall into the pool, causing a huge plume of water to drift over the edges of the well-defined water. Rosalie darted out of the way and Alice stood up from beside me and danced towards the edge of the pool; Emmett and Jasper remained under the water, now and then a ripple would animate the surface, showing that they were still battling below

Edward was suddenly beside me, his arm winding round my waist; I looked up into his honey eyes, momentarily dazed by his beauty, "What are they doing down there?", I guessed he would know better than me.

"Mainly fighting. Emmett's determined to drown Jasper", I suddenly had an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach,

"Can he do that? Can he really _drown_ him?"

Edward's returning smile was radiant, ceasing the growing chasm in my gut, "No. But Emmett's trying his best".

Alice decided it was time for her to stop the fight; she stepped lightly into the pool, barely causing a ripple in the water, and disappeared under the surface. I saw the surface of the pool undulate a couple of times and then Alice jumped out onto the grass, followed by Jasper and finally Emmett. Emmett had some sort of seaweed or plantation wrapped around his wrists and ankles and he was pulling at it with his teeth as he sat in the grass next to Rosalie. Jasper was whispering something in Alice's ear and she was smiling mischievously in Emmett's direction, Emmett pulled the last of the reed from his ankles and pouted, "That was so unfair! It was two against one!" Rosalie stroked his hair as he glared in Alice's direction.

Alice stuck out her tongue and sung in her bell-like voice, "You're bigger than Jasper, he needed help", she smiled up at her husband with loving eyes and Jasper returned the look, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You should have been able to take on a girl, Emmett", Jasper laughed as he spoke, probably knowing this would infuriate Emmett.

"She tied me up! So unfair"

With that Carlisle stood up and brushed himself down, looking toward Edward and I as he did so, "I think it's about time we showed Bella what we _really_ do when we come here, don't you Edward?"

Edward glanced at me once and smiled widely, showing his glistening teeth, "Oh, yes", he leant down to my ear, "You're going to love it".

We made our way up the hill, Edward carrying me on his back again but this time going slower than usual so I could keep my eyes open. Alice was on Jasper's shoulders, again, I wondered why she didn't just run, was it for the comfort? Perhaps she was just lazy, or maybe Jasper liked it. Whatever it was they both seemed to enjoy it; Alice was practically beaming and Jasper had a small grin etched onto his features. Emmett and Rosalie were behind us, Emmett still sulking from the 'unfair fight' and Rosalie rolling her eyes whenever she looked at him. Carlisle and Esme were in front; they were holding hands again and running with more speed than the rest of us, although why I had no idea.

We reached our destination quickly, we hadn't travelled far but I could see that we were now higher than before, standing on top of the rock face where Jasper had been sitting. Edward lowered me off of his back and I walked to the edge of the overhang, careful not to move too close to the edge, given my history with falling off of things. Below I could see the clearing where we had all been sitting; the grass seemed even greener than when I'd been sitting on it and there were splashes of colour where the various flowers intruded in the green carpet. The pool was reflecting the sun's fading rays like a giant mirror and I briefly saw how small my reflection was, realising how high we must be. I felt a little dizzy and moved away from the edge, regaining my balance.

Behind me Edward was talking to Carlisle, they were laughing about something that I hadn't heard, Emmett was stretching his biceps and making Rosalie watch him, Alice was still perched on Jasper's shoulders and he was leaning precariously over the edge of the cliff, causing Alice to squeal now and then when he jerked playfully. Esme walked, well glided, over to where I was standing and held out her hand for me, I took it, feeling the icy touch of her skin, from this close I could really see the pearlescent sheen to her skin, pinks and creams and purples swam across her skin like waves on water, she had to lift my chin with her hand to regain my attention, "What you are about to see may scare you a little, but trust us, we know what we're doing". With that she ushered me towards Edward and replaced her hand with his. She then stepped towards Rosalie who left Emmett's side and stood as though she were starting a race. Esme did the same and, before I could understand what was going on, they had both plummeted off the edge of the cliff and were freefalling through the air. I let out a short scream but Edward placed his hand on my shoulder, assuring me everything was okay.

After a few seconds I heard two splashes and then Rosalie and Esme returned to their husband's sides, dripping wet, having climbed up the rocky cliff-face. I must have looked like a rabbit in the headlights because even Rosalie looked concerned.

"Is she okay?" the blonde's harsh voice didn't _sound_ concerned.

"I-I'm fine", my voice was shaky; I just couldn't comprehend why they would want to do what they just did, "What just happened?"

Esme smiled politely, "We come up here all the time to race"

"Race?" wasn't that when you actually _ran_?

"Yes. We dive off the cliff, and whoever reaches the water first is the winner. You can choose any way to get to the water, as long as it is over this cliff face"

"Oh" that didn't really sound like much fun.

Esme looked at Carlisle and Edward and smirked, "Your turn". I didn't even want to _think_ about Edward falling down a seventy-foot drop, it just didn't seem _right_, letting him toss himself into the air like some lemming. He let go of my hand and stepped next to Carlisle, who was looking quite smug. Edward winked at me, causing my cheeks to flare and then he was gone. I ran to the edge to view for myself this form of vampire sprinting and just managed to see Edward sprinting down the side of the cliff as if he were running on a straight road, followed by Carlisle who was somehow skidding down the rocky surface. Of course Edward entered the water first, followed a fraction of a second later by Carlisle.

I tried to lean further to see if I could make out Edward's form underneath the water but, as I leaned, I tripped and began hurtling down the jagged rocks to my almost certain death…

**Another chapter to come, but I need reviews to keep me going!!**

**All reviews are appreciated and make me very happy**

**Thanks :) xx**


	7. Plummet

**Plummet**

I hurtled down towards the glistening surface of the pool, I knew at that point that, if I fell into it, my body would not be able to withstand the force of the water hitting it; I would almost certainly die from the impact alone.

My hands grabbed furiously at the jagged rocks as I slid roughly down the side of the cliff; my knees and palms shredded as I collided with various sharp edges and I felt as though I was plummeting for hours, time seemed to lose all meaning as I fell like a rag doll dropped by an infant. I tried to think about how Charlie would cope without me; he had no idea about cooking, he would probably just rot away as he failed at trying to prepare meals for himself. Renee would be devastated of course, but Phil would take care of her, she would carry on. Then my mind wandered to the one person I knew would cope the worst with my death: Edward. Sure, he would be free of my constant tempting scent and he wouldn't be stuck with a pathetic human anymore, but I knew him, he would do something stupid. Maybe this would be for the best, now he would be able to find someone who he could actually kiss without wanting to rip their throat out, he could find someone worthy of him.

I was suddenly torn from my final thoughts; my arm felt as though someone had just ripped it from its socket. I glanced down, seeing the pool far below me; maybe I hadn't fallen as far as I'd thought, the water still seemed quite far down. I looked up, following the line of my now-straight arm from which I was hanging. The setting sun framed his perfect face like a halo, but it wasn't the face I'd expected. It was Jasper. He had his pale arm extended, holding my hand as he saved me from my doom. I sighed, knowing I'd been saved, knowing I wouldn't have to be without Edward, not for even a second. I glanced down again, my eyes focusing on Edward as he leapt out of the pool and stared up at my dangling frame in shock. He looked scared, then relieved and then… worried? He looked past my eyes into Jasper's, "Don't drop her!" he sounded genuinely worried that Jasper would drop me; surely I weighed nothing more than a rag doll to him?

"Jasper!" Edward was growling now, his face marred into a mask of insanity.

I looked up towards Jasper's face, why hadn't he pulled me up yet? I saw his pearly flesh shaking as he held me, his face was distorted; it looked as though he was in pain, more than usual. I could see Alice standing behind him, looking just as worried as Edward. Jasper's eyes moved towards my hand which was clasped in his icy grasp, his nostrils flared and his grip tightened until it began to hurt.

"Jasper", I spoke with a shaking voice, "Pull me up". He didn't respond, instead, his gaze moved to my legs, which were dangling limply beneath me; my knees and shins were stinging from where I'd scraped them down the rock and I could see the blood smeared all over them. That's when I realised. Jasper had saved me, but he was still resisting the urge to pick me up and drain me of my blood. I looked up into his distant eyes; I could tell that he desperately wanted to save me, he wanted to pick me up and place me safely on my feet. But I could also see his instincts telling him to sink his teeth into me and drink from me.

"Jasper! Pull her up!" Edward's voice echoed around me but Jasper simply ignored it; his eyes were completely focused on my bleeding limbs and his hand was cutting off the circulation o my fingers.

I could see Alice behind Jasper, her eyes looked just as worried as Edward's, she tried to place her hand on Jasper's shoulder but he snarled at her whenever she touched him. I knew he was fighting a losing battle; his nostrils flared again and his eyes rolled back into his head as if he were smelling a fine fragrance, I suppose the fragrance was me.

"Jasper, please", I was pleading now, the tears streaming down my cheeks, "You're _hurting_ me". With that his eyes seemed to illuminate, bringing him back to the moment. He looked at my hand, loosening his grip on it slightly, allowing me to regain the feeling in my fingers. He licked his pearly lips once and looked into my eyes; his were wide with something that looked a lot like fear, and I imagined my own expression would look pretty much the same. Then, as he opened his mouth slightly, he let me go.

I heard three things at that moment: one: Alice's scream, two: Edward's yell and three: the gasp of air that shot into my lungs. I tumbled downwards, again grabbing at the rocks and dirt as I fell; everything was just a blur of green and brown and beauty. I fell for what felt like an eternity, closing my eyes as I neared the pool and then, suddenly, I stopped. My entire body seemed to jolt suddenly, pulling me to a sudden holt, it felt as though I'd hit a rock, my back curved around it and my legs swung abruptly. I hung loosely in the air, my arms and legs dangling from some unknown safety point; maybe I'd just snagged on a protruding rock, or perhaps I'd landed in the pool and this was what death felt like. I fluttered my eyes, willing them to open, if this was heaven I wanted to see what it looked like. I squinted as I looked up towards where I'd just been hanging from Jasper's arm. I could see him, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, staring down at me and I could see Alice, Esme and Emmett doing the same behind him. _I must be dead_ was my first thought; _they must be looking at my mangled body_. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw the reason for my sudden stop; Edward was clinging to the rock face, with one arm wrapped tightly around my waist. I was hanging across his arm like a dead animal, with my arms and legs swinging beneath me. I looked down towards the pool where Carlisle was staring up at me, looking relieved.

I shook my head, wanting to come back to reality, "Edward", I whispered his name, "You saved me". He looked triumphant and then his face twisted until he looked terribly anxious,

"Are you hurt?" his eyebrows pulled together, creasing his forehead.

I padded at my face and body, examining the worst of the damage; my cheek felt sore where I'd bashed it off the rocks a few times and my back ached from where I'd slammed against Edward's arm but everything seemed to be working.

"No, I don't think so", I wrapped my arms tightly around his stone body, even though I knew he wouldn't drop me I felt safer when I could hold on.

"Are you sure? You're face looks a little-"

"I'm fine Edward"

"Okay", he didn't look convinced.

**More chapters to come!!**

**Hope you're enjoying it :)**

**Review and let me know what you like/ don't like :)**

**Thanks xx**


	8. Cuts and Scrapes

**Cuts and Scrapes**

Edward glanced up towards where most of the family was standing, Jasper slinked back as Edward looked, I hoped he didn't feel too guilty; it was either eat me or drop me and I was glad he'd chosen the latter.

Edward climbed the jagged rocks using only one hand, the other was wrapped tightly against my body, securing me to his frame. We reached the top in less that a few seconds and he planted me on my feet, away from the edge, keeping his arm around my waist. Esme stepped towards me and embraced me in a tight hug, quickly releasing me as I struggled to breathe, "Are you sure you're okay Bella?" Esme's mothering instincts were showing themselves.

"I'm fine, honestly, just a few cuts and scrapes", I looked at my grazed palms and shredded shins; maybe it was a _little _worse than I'd thought.

"I'll take a look if you like", I hadn't even heard Carlisle climb back up the side of the rock face but he was standing between me and the edge now, looking at my bruised cheek. Before I could argue he was prodding his icy fingers against my face and, although it did feel like an ice pack, my cheeks flared and I dropped my eyes to the ground.

Carlisle lifted my chin with his slender fingers, "Don't be embarrassed Bella, this wasn't your fault. Maybe we shouldn't have brought you up here".

Rosalie snorted slightly as Carlisle said this; clearly her point had been made. The good doctor knelt down and started to examine my legs then, his touch felt like feathers stroking my skin and icy tingles shot up my spine.

"I think she's okay", he was talking to Edward, "although we should probably go clean up these cuts down in the pool". My heart sunk; why did I always have to ruin everything?

"I'm okay, I don't want to stop your, err, racing", I could feel myself getting more and more red as I spoke.

"Its okay", Edward's calming tones soothed me slightly, "Most of us have finished anyway".

I saw Jasper's head bow as I walked past him and I felt suddenly ashamed, obviously feeling what he was feeling at that point. I wanted him to know it wasn't his fault, that he'd saved me. I let go of Edward's hand and made my way, carefully, over to Jasper.

"Bella", Edward snarled my name through gritted teeth, "Don't".

I waved a hand behind my back, signalling that everything was okay and for Edward to stay put, and continued to walk to Jasper. I saw his body go rigid as soon as I was near him; his eyes became wide and his nostrils flared slightly and he began to move backwards, towards the edge of the cliff top. Alice was beside him in a flash, her slim arm winding around his elbow, stopping him from moving any further

"Jasper", I stared into his dark eyes as I spoke, "Listen, i'm sorry for being so clumsy, I should've been more careful"

His eyebrows pulled together slightly and then his face was a serene mask once again. I thought I saw him glance swiftly at my bleeding legs but it was so fast I couldn't be sure if I'd just imagined it. Alice looked up towards his face, the last rays of the setting sun glistening off of her pixie features, "Jazz, say something". I saw his lips part as though he were about to speak but Edward stepped between us, his back to me and his face close to Jasper's. He spoke with no emotion, "Bella, could you please go with Esme and Carlisle, they're starting to walk back towards the pool"

"But-" I started to protest but he spun elegantly on his heel, his sweet breath encasing my face, and he grabbed my face between his cold palms,

"Please Bella", he glanced in Jasper's direction and leaned in closer to my face, "You don't know what he's thinking", he kissed my forehead and turned me around with his hands on my shoulders. I looked behind me once, seeing Edward arguing with Alice, and then jogged to catch up with Esme, Carlisle and Rosalie, who still looked annoyed at me for spoiling her fun.

I kept tripping as I tried to keep up with the vampires; they were obviously staying slow for my benefit but their feet seemed to glide around and across the various obstacles, whereas mine seemed to find them and walk into them. Carlisle stopped, for the tenth time, and waited for me, Rosalie stormed past, keeping a faster pace than the others. Carlisle reached out to place a comforting hand on my shoulder and moved his eyes to the ground, as if slightly embarrassed, "I know it wouldn't be the same as Edward, he's faster than me and well, better looking", he looked back into my eyes, smiling, "But would you mind if I carried you? Its just we'd like to get home before the morning". I guessed that last part wasn't an exaggeration, at the speed I was going we'd be lucky to get there before next week. I nodded weakly and Carlisle bent down, swooping me onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and closed my eyes. The way he ran was entirely different to Edward; he took long strides whereas Edward took small, quick steps. Carlisle was also slower than Edward, and so, when I knew I could, I opened my eyes and watched as the lush green forest thinned and then disappeared as we entered the clearing once more.

Edward, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper were already there, sitting in the dewy grass, Emmett was off to the side, climbing a tree, it looked as though he was reaching up for something. Alice kept her eyes focused on the ground, she looked upset. Edward glanced towards Jasper and then strode towards me, lifting me off of Carlisle's back.

"Thanks", I said to Carlisle as Edward placed me on my feet. I looked over to Jasper who was looking at me with worried eyes and I refocused my gaze to Edward, "What did you say to him?"

"Who?" he raised his eyebrows, looking innocent.

"You know who", my tone was abrupt, but I needed to know he hadn't hurt Jasper.

"I told him it would be better if he stayed away from you from now on"

"What?!" my voice rose a few octaves, how could he say that? I now knew why Alice had looked so upset; she would want to stay with Jasper but she would also want to see me. How could Edward make her choose like that?

"It's for the best, Bella. You're just too tempting for someone like Jasper; it's not fair on both of you"

"And what about Alice?" I saw her look up when I mentioned her name, "Is it _fair_ to make her choose between us?"

Edward frowned; he obviously wasn't expecting this reaction from me. I stormed over to a bewildered Alice and sat down beside her, next to Jasper. I turned to look him straight in the eye, I'd never been that close to him before and his beauty struck me for a moment.

"Jasper", I started to speak in a business-like tone, as though I was trying to sell him a new type of toilet roll. He looked startled and leaned away from my wide eyes.

Alice spoke then, her chirpy voice matching her wide grin, "Maybe you should go and get cleaned up first Bella. Before coming so close", she looked at my legs, which were bent towards Jasper.

"Oh", I moved away and got to my feet.

When I reached the edge of the pool I took off my socks and shoes and rolled my ripped jeans up over my knees. It stung when I first dipped my legs into the water but it started to ease them as I sat there, on the edge of the silvery water. I was so busy watching the light dance off the surface of the water that I didn't notice the long shadow that was now encasing my body. Something light touched my shoulder and I spun abruptly, almost falling back into the pool. It was Alice.

"Hey Bella", her harmonious voice echoed in my head like bells, "can I sit down?"

"Sure", she sat lightly on the grass, crossing her legs in lightening speed.

"I just wanted to say sorry for not _seeing_ you fall", from the way she said it, I assumed she meant seeing me in a vision, "I was too busy messing around with Jazz"

"You don't need to apologize Alice, you were having fun and I was clumsy"

Jasper was suddenly sitting beside Alice, he looked happier somehow, more relaxed. He clasped Alice's hand in his own and squeezed it slightly. I quickly looked over to Edward to try and figure out what Jasper was thinking; Edward looked peaceful, almost smug.

"Hi, Jasper", I started to babble; I knew he wouldn't hurt me but Jasper still made me nervous, "I, err, I wanted to say thank you"

"Thank you?" Jasper looked puzzled and I could see Edward's expression change behind him, Edward also looked confused, "But, Bella, I dropped you" Jasper's eyes dropped to the ground.

"No, no. You _saved_ me", I emphasized the word, "If it wasn't for you I would have fallen and Edward would have still been under the water, he wouldn't have caught me"

Jasper's eyebrows raised and he looked at Alice who gave him a cheeky grin.

"Oh, well. You're welcome" he smiled and then kissed Alice firmly on the forehead, "Isn't it your turn to race Emmett?"

Alice beamed and jumped to her feet, "Emmett! Let's race!"

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews so far!!**

**There's more chapters to come, don't you worry :)**

**If you haven't already could you PLEASE review??**

**It makes me happy and lets me know how I'm doing :) xx**


	9. Twilight

**Twilight**

The sun had almost set, it was that magical time that wasn't quite day and wasn't quite night: twilight.

Everything around me seemed to have a strange shade of orange; the trees and grass looked like they we on fire; the deep oranges and golds removing the green from them. Everything seemed so magical, not least the group of five shimmering vampires that stood around me. The shade of light danced off of their skin, making them look like Gods. I raised Edward's hand which was wrapped around my own and inspected it in the strange hue; it sparkled elegantly, with shades of yellow, orange, red, gold, silver and some colours that I couldn't name, shimmering off it. It was beautiful. Carlisle looked almost identical to Edward, with his shimmering skin and golden eyes and Esme and Jasper looked as though they were made from liquid bronze, their pearlescent skin infused with the various colours of twilight. Rosalie was the one that fascinated me the most in this light; she seemed to have been drained of all colour. In the bright sunshine she had looked like crystal, with thousands of colours dancing across her skin, but now she looked almost transparent, as though she was made completely out of polished glass. I had to force my eyes away from her as she glared in my direction, I didn't want to do anything else to infuriate her.

Jasper spoke then, his eyes filled with excitement, "They're going to jump soon, I can feel Emmett's excitement"

Suddenly the ground began to vibrate slightly, like someone was drumming into my very core.

"Here they come" Rosalie smirked in my direction, knowing I was still worried about the whole jumping off a large cliff thing. I looked up towards the deep orange sky, waiting for the two completely different figures that were about to leap over the edge of the rock face. Then I saw them; Emmett was curled into a ball, like a child jumping into a swimming pool, he had a huge grin on his face as he fell like a huge ball of molten metal. Alice came slightly after Emmett; she looked like a feather floating to the ground, but at an exceptionally fast pace. Her skin looked as though it was covered in millions of rubies, each one glistening frantically as she fell. It was only when she had fallen close enough that I saw how she was positioned. She was falling backwards! She seemed to be laying in mid air, on her back, her short hair whipping up past her face. She looked completely serene, as though she was just lying in bed; even her eyes were closed. She suddenly snapped them open and spun in the air until she was positioned like an arrow; her head was aiming for the pool and her legs were straight up behind her, her arms were pinned to her sides as she dropped silently into the water.

"Alice always knows when to change position, she kind of cheats when it comes to racing", Edwards soft whisper made me smile; for the first time that day, I felt like part of the family. A fraction of a second later Emmett's vampire cannonball pummelled the surface of the water causing a huge wave to splash into the air. From the corner of my eye I saw Edward, Jasper, Esme, Rosalie and Carlisle step backwards; it was like they were one. In one fluid moment they had stepped out of the path of the encroaching water, leaving me behind to take the full force of it. It knocked me to my feet, leaving me soaked to the bone.

I sat shivering on the grass, what with the sun having set and Edward's frozen arm holding me close I felt like I was sitting in the snow.

Emmett was still laughing when he shouted over to me, "Hey Bella! Sorry about the water, I thought you would've moved!"

"It-It's o-okay" I managed to stutter between chattering teeth. Edward hugged me closer, pressing my already-shivering body to his icy chest. I moved back slightly, trying not to hurt his feelings.

"What is it?" he looked worried.

"You're just a bit c-cold, that's all", my body convulsed as another set of shivers ran down my spine.

"Maybe we should go" he still looked worried, his forehead was creased as his eyebrows knitted together.

"O-ok" I wanted to argue with him, to stay here and enjoy the freedom, but I could feel myself becoming ill and if I was ill, I wouldn't be able to see Edward.

We stood up slowly and turned to walk out of the clearing but Jasper was standing in the way, with a very serious look on his face.

Edward spoke first, answering an unspoken question, "No, Jasper. Bella needs to get home, she's freezing"

I spoke up, I didn't want Jasper missing out on something, after all, he hadn't exactly had the _best_ day of his life, or death, "What is it?" I looked from both sets of eyes that were now focused on me.

"Jasper wants a race", I saw Jasper's eyes glint as Edward told me of his plans.

Surely it would only take a couple of minutes, I could wait that long, "So, race him"

Jasper beamed and focused his attention on me, "Are you sure? You don't really look too good".

I didn't _feel_ too good but I felt well enough to let Jasper have a couple of minutes of fun, "I'm fine", I kissed Edward on the cheek, "Go, have fun".

"I'll be back in two minutes", Edward smirked and looked towards Jasper, "Once I've beaten him". Jasper growled slightly and then they were both gone; I looked up to see them both clambering up the rock face, Edward in front, as usual.

I stepped back from the pool this time and sat beside Alice, who was sitting crossed legged in the grass. The sun had gone down now but I could still see her clearly, in fact, I could see the entire family, all with their skin glowing in the rising moonlight. Alice looked at me with wide eyes, "Are you okay?" I was shivering more than before and I was wishing that I'd said no to Jasper's little race. I just nodded at Alice and wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to keep my body heat _in _my body.

"Here they come", Alice shot to her feet and started to wave her hands frantically as she watched her husband and her brother dart down the cliff face. Edward was running the same as he had with Carlisle, his legs somehow finding leverage in the rocks as he sprinted down the rock face. Jasper had a different technique; he was leaping from rock to rock, like some sort of agile tree frog and, to my amazement, he was beating Edward. Alice squealed as Jasper jumped off the last rock and into the water, clapping her hands like a small child, "You won! You won!"

Jasper leapt out of the water and lifted Alice up by her waist, swinging her around with a huge grin on his face, "As if you didn't know I would". Alice squealed again and kissed Jasper just above his eyebrow and then next to his lips, a gesture that seemed extremely strange to me. Edward didn't bother going into the pool, instead he landed on the grass and darted over to me, scooping me up into his arms. I put on a pout, "You lost".

He pretended to be hurt, "I was distracted", he nuzzled my hair and began running through the trees, "Let's get you home".

**Review please, let me know how I'm doing!! :)**

**I don't know whether this should be the last chapter or should I do more?**

**You decide!**

**Thanks :) xx**


	10. A little selfadvertising

**Hey!! This isn't another chapter but don't be sad!**

**I just wanted to ask you to take a look at my other story, its set six years after Breaking Dawn and its pretty awesome, why don't you take a look.**

**Blatant self advertising I know, but, who cares? **

**Thanks for reading!!**

**:) xxx**


End file.
